Second Star to the Right
by 2K
Summary: Jordan and JD are getting closer despite her night with Woody. Will stumbling across a dead student and an old friend while on vacation change all that?


**Second Star to the Right**

**Blanket disclaimer**: I've got no claim to anything Crossing Jordan related. Northwood School is a real school and Lake Placid, New York, as well as any surrounding locations mentioned, is a real place but any person not an elected official mentioned in this work of fiction is purely fictional and any relation to a real person is coincidence.

**Setting**: A few weeks after "Love Me Not" but assuming no other episodes have taken place.

**Author's Notes**: As I don't have a beta (any and all may apply!), I'd love to hear from anyone and/or everyone if I have any mistakes in this, from simple grammar to Jordan calling a character something she wouldn't. I'm all for the concrit! "Weather" in the chapter title is not a typo. The fic will also be posted in the livejournal community 2ndstrtothright by dodo31 (me, also the only member with posting access) so friend that if you want updates.

My writing is very much a work in progress. I'm always learning more about writing as I go.. I don't know these characters that well, either. Sometime later I may rewrite the early chapters when I get better with the characters (esp. Jordan) and writing in first person. We'll see. Hopefully I will but I'll have to make improvements first.

**Chapter 1**.

**"Running in Various Manners, Weather Intentional or Not"**

**Jordan**

"Cavanaugh!"

And another potentially uneventful day was quite possibly ruined with three syllables. Why me?

It was a wonderfully warm and unusually spring like February day with very few deaths in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and I had been enjoying it as best I could while working until about four seconds ago. Slowly taking my time, I tucked the papers and autopsy reports I had been shuffling through back into their appropriate folders before turning around to face the speaker.

"Uh... JD! Didn't expect to see you here." An honest statement. Since I had given him the brush off when he had asked me about my emotional attachment to Woody he hadn't been around much. A single dinner, sure, maybe popping up at the scene of one murder over the course of three weeks looking for a story, but nothing close to the usual activity I had come to expect from him.

He grinned, flashing his endearing, wide smile. One of his few incredibly redeeming qualities, even if he was one of the last people I wanted to see while I had so much to work through in my head. "I didn't really expect to see me here either. But, to be honest, a great and exciting opportunity just fell into my lap that I couldn't pass up sharing with you."

"I'll... go... put these papers in my office and we can talk there." I didn't wait for him to reply, just turned around and walked quickly back to my office, trying to keep my brain three steps ahead of my feet. To tell the truth, I had been grateful to him for staying away while I tried to work out what I wanted wether or not he was going to be a part of that. Nigel gave us an odd look as we passed by trace, but it could just have easily been my imagination. I'd had a lingering uneasiness all afternoon; a slow day like this was usually followed by a disaster. It was just the way things worked around here. JD's 'great and exciting opportunity'... it could be a wonderful thing or the day-ruiner.

When I reached my office I put the small stack of folders on my desk and turned around, leaning against it with my arms stiff and my fingers clutching the wood but trying my absolute hardest to look casual. "So, what's this exciting opportunity you were talking about?"

He blushed a little and smiled at me again. There was something about his smile... it was sincere and kind, not goofy. He was being cute and awkward. Not all confidence-man. And, relaxing in my own environment, I noticed that he had done something with his hair. He was either auditioning for a part on _Queer Eye_ or really trying to impress someone. "Will... um... well, how much vacation time do you have saved up?"

"Uh... three weeks? Three and a half? Why? You're not acting like you, Pollack." He was usually so confident and self assured and, although I didn't _dislike_ what he was doing now (the exact opposite: I thought it was adorable) it was so much more like Garret or Bug to behave this way.

"My sister called me and proposed I take a trip. I thought you might want to come along."

"A trip? But didn't we go to-"

He interrupted me. More like the JD I knew. He grabbed my hand and almost fearfully let it go before speaking. Not like the JD I knew. "Well, yes, but this would be an actual vacation, not just a weekend. Maybe a week or two? Not just a weekend away. You see, my mother has another child, a daughter, and she has a son-"

Has he been taking lessons on how to ramble from Nigel? "You have a nephew."

"Right. I have a nephew, and he goes to a school in New York. There's a huge hockey tournament there this week and he'd love it if I went up there to see him. I thought maybe you'd like to come. Small town, beautiful scenery, and exceptionally talented teenagers beating each other up to gain control of a hockey puck... recipe for fun." He kept on smiling. It was getting a bit overused. Still lovely, but overused.

"So, you're suggesting we fly up there, relax in some small yet pretty town, and watch some high school kids beat each other up while playing hockey well?"

His smile faded a bit and he reddened. "Erm... well, yeah. Well, without the flying. There's no airport. But you do posses an uncanny ability ability to boil things down to their simplest possible form, Cavanaugh. It promises to be an exceptional time. You interested?"

I had to think about it for a second. Was I? If I said yes did it mean that we were together again? Would it ruin all chances I would have with Woody? Did I even _want_ any chance with Woody? I slept with the guy once and now he was acting like he owned me. If that's any indication of what he'll be like if we're together...

"I'll ask Dr. Macy if I can get some time off. How much would I need...?" That's the safe bet, I decided. I could talk things over with Garret, maybe get some advice, and if I decide it's not a good idea I can always say I couldn't go.

Suddenly I feel like I'm nine again and trying to use my dad to get out of a sleep-over with a friend I'm on the outs with.

"As much as you would like to take. A week? Two? Lake Placid is a great little town in a great region. Pretty place, friendly people, interesting history, good restaurants... Scratch that. Amazing restaurants. The tournament lasts a week so that's my minimum requirement, though I guess you could drive back a few days before it's over if we went up separately."

Drive back? "How long does driving take, Pollack?"

"Uh... six hours, give or take a few minutes." He smirked at me. "Don't tell me you get carsick?"

"Not... not at all." Not on Boston's roads anyways. Small waving highways... that's an entirely different story. "I'll give you a call later when I know what's going to happen."

He obviously knew a dismissal when heard it. As he backed out the door, he said something about having to leave on tuesday. I honestly didn't pay it much attention. I was really more concerned by wether or not I was going to actually go.

I stared at the autopsy report of a sixty-year-old heart attack victim for two hours before deciding I needed to talk to someone about this before I could get any more work done. Who, though? I'd put Nigel through enough talking about Woody, I wasn't really close enough to Bug to solicit advice like this from him, Lily had the day off... Garret.

Seeing his door partially open, I burst into his office. Without looking. That was probably bad idea number one of the afternoon. Bad idea number two was probably shouting "Dr. M, I've got a problem" as if it were a life or death situation... the irony of that phrase in a morgue not lost on me.

He looked up sullenly from his conversation with DA Walcott. "Yes, Jordan?"

"You know what? Never mind. It's really not that big of a problem. I'll just come back later when you're not busy."

Rene's eyes gleamed at me. Uh-oh. "Please. Sit down. We were just chatting about nonsense. I'm sure Garret wouldn't mind you interrupting since your problem sounds so dire."

"No. Really," I tried to backpedal my way out of that situation fast. "It's okay. Really. It's not work related. I can come back later."

"You know I won't be around later. I'm having dinner with Abby tonight. It's the entire reason you'll be here working." Were they _together_ against me or something?

"Actually-"

He interrupted me. "No, Jordan. Sit down and tell me what problem had you bursting into my door shouting like your pants are on fire." He got up from his seat on his office couch next to Walcott and perched on the front of his desk, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I'm sure Rene wouldn't mind leaving us for a bit. She must have work to do."

Rene got the idea that this was a turning into hostile situation pretty quickly. "Of course. Garret. Jordan." She nodded at us and made a hasty retreat.

Garret turned his gaze to me. I was in trouble, but what was new about that situation? "Now, what has you bursting in here like that? Couldn't you have at least knocked? Even Nigel has the decency to-"

"Garret, please. I'm really not in a mood for this. I do something wrong. You yell at me. I'm profoundly sorry. Blah blah blah we're friends again?" Maybe the brief smile accompanying that would make him see that I was actually sorry and a bit too out of sorts to go into this right now.

He sighed, obviously accepting the apology for the time being. Maybe if I had him with me this far he'd be able to give me help. "Fine. Now what's wrong?"

"JD." Plain. Simple. To the point. Why'd I even say it, then? I should just ask him for some time off then leave-- As the war raged on in my head, Garret was oblivious. Stupid men. Why can't they be psyhic?.

"JD? Uh... JD Pollack? You mean that reporter? Has he been hanging around here again?"

That was enough to earn a giggle from me. Then another. Then some more laughter leading to full fledged cackling. Was he so out of it that he had entirely missed that I'd been involved with JD? Doing something people in other circles with actual personal lives differing from their professional ones might consider dating?

"What? What's so funny, Jordan? Jordan!"

I managed to get my laughter under control, barely. "I've been... dating him, I guess, for a while now. You can't honestly tell me you didn't know!" I move over and sprawl across his office couch in the space Rene had vacated, propping my feet up on an arm.

"I probably did. I just... I guess I forgot." He scowled at my feet and moved them to the floor, jokingly wiping imaginary dirt that had fallen off the soles of the sneakers and sitting in the place they had just been. A moment after sitting he continued with what he had been saying. "This is a problem, though?"

I looked down, unsure of how to answer. "Yes? No? Maybe? I... I don't know, I mean... it's just really complicated."

"Really complicated?" He looked... he was wearing the expression on his face, the strange hybrid of concern, puzzlement, sympathy, anger, and understanding that usually causes others to open up to him and spill their problems to him. It just made me run.

"You know what? I think I have stuff to do. I'll get back to you on the vacation time."

When I'd made it halfway down the hall to intake I heard his yell. "Vacation time? What vacation time? Jordan!"

Outside, the half hearted attempts at sunlight we'd been getting for the past three days had apparently given up and a sheet of mid-February rain was pouring down outside the round windows of the morgue. It would ice over by tomorrow morning. Maybe a vacation would be a good idea, since the required dose of daily doom is obviously taken care of. Yay for ironic timing.


End file.
